


You're the One

by Moonlight_Darkness



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-08 06:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8833171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlight_Darkness/pseuds/Moonlight_Darkness
Summary: Firefighter Makoto has been in a relationship with his host boyfriend Kisumi for over year. After he realizes that he'd rather be friends and breaks up with Kisumi, Makoto meets a talented swimmer named Haruka a month later. There's something about the raven haired man that has captured his attention. Is Haruka the one Makoto has been looking for? Will Haruka feel the same way?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I decided to write yet another MakoHaru story :D I wanted to write a story where Makoto and Haruka would meet each other for the first time instead of being childhood friends. I also made Nagisa the couch instead of Gou since I wanted to focus more on the guys and of course the cute ships :3

The sweat dripping down Makoto's face was proof of how hard he had trained earlier in the day. Luckily there weren't any fires that needed to be extinguished which allowed the brown haired man to exercise until his body couldn't take it anymore. It was already close to dinner time and he knew he would be spending it alone once again. It was rare for Kisumi to be at their apartment during the evening. His job as a host always kept him out late into the night and sometimes even until sunrise.

Makoto took a sip of his bottle of water as he continued to walk towards his apartment building. There was a nagging feeling within Makoto the entire day and he knew why. He had been thinking long and hard about his current relationship with Kisumi, which had been great, but Makoto always noticed that Kisumi seemed more like a friend than a lover. They had been together for over a year now after Kisumi confessed and they passionately made love the very same day.

At that time Makoto did want to experience something more with his best friend. He wanted to see where the relationship would take them and if finally he would be able to be with someone he cared a lot about. That's how it was…At least until Makoto started to feel like he had misinterpreted his own feelings.

Walking into the apartment building and taking the elevator to the fifth floor, Makoto made his way to their apartment door and unlocked it. As he entered inside, he noticed that the lights and TV were on. Makoto looked down and saw that Kisumi's shoes were near the doorway.

"Welcome home!" Kisumi said as he walked up to Makoto and placed a kiss against his lips. "You're surprised that I'm here, aren't you?"

"I thought you'd be at work," Makoto replied. He closed the door and took off his shoes. He still didn't feel prepared to confront Kisumi.

"I was supposed to go, but my boss thought I should take the night off. He also said it would give some of the other guys a chance to get more clients."

"Hmm, you are very popular Kisu-chan."

"What about you Mako-chan? Were there any fires?"

"Thankfully there weren't. I took the day to train a bit to stay in shape."

Kisumi smiled and placed his hand through Makoto's damp hair. "It looks like you trained a lot."

"I did. I'm going to take a quick shower and then we can figure out what we're going to eat for dinner."

"You know, I thought about taking a quick shower too. Why don't we take one together?"

Makoto tensed up. The nagging feeling inside of him was making it hard to breathe. Kisumi noticed and gently cupped Makoto's face in-between his hands. "What's wrong?"

"Kisumi…Can we talk…?"

Kisumi slowly took his hands away from Makoto's face and turned around. "Let me guess…You want to break up, right?"

"Kisumi, I…"

"I already had a feeling it was coming. You've been acting weird lately, especially whenever we kissed or did something. But hey, if that's what you want, then I'm okay with it."

"Kisumi, I'm really sorry. I do love you, but…more like a friend."

Kisumi turned around to face Makoto and smiled at him. "Don't be sorry. As long as we can still be best friends and live together, then everything will be just fine. So let's not make things awkward, okay? I'd hate it if that happened."

Makoto smiled back and moved in to hug Kisumi. "Thanks." Kisumi hugged Makoto back as the two stay embraced within each other's arms. Although Kisumi told Makoto he was okay with it, deep down Kisumi's heart was breaking.

XXXX

One Month Later…

"Mako-chan, hurry up!"

"I'm coming!"

The two were currently rushing to get to the swimming tournament that was taking place. Kisumi had been invited by his friend Nagisa. He decided to let Makoto join him since he had the day off from work. Once they arrived and took their seats, they looked at the enormous pool feet away and all of the swim teams preparing themselves for the relay. Kisumi spotted his blond friend and the swim team that he managed.

"Mako, they're over there! I'm sure they're going to win today."

Makoto nodded his head as he looked towards the group. He had never met any of them, except for Nagisa, but since they were friends of Kisumi, Makoto was certain that they were amazing people. He noticed that they were all talking to each other, except for one of the guys who had his eyes glued on the pool.

The ocean blue orbs were a beautiful color that Makoto had never seen. He had a well structured body that displayed how much time he must spend swimming.

A whistle was blown which told all of the teams to get into position – the relay was about start. Makoto watched with anticipation. He hadn't gone swimming since he was a kid. The first one to swim was a muscular guy with red hair. Second, a tall young man with red goggles on. Third, a guy that seemed to have the same build as Makoto swam backstroke. Lastly, the man that Makoto had been drawn to, dove into the water and started to swim with amazing grace. It was a sight Makoto had never seen before. The way the man swam was absolutely beautiful as if the water was guiding him.

The raven haired man quickly turned back and was the first to finish the relay. His team had won. People all around cheered as the team celebrated and patted each other on the back. Kisumi stood up and looked down at Makoto. "Come on Mako, let's go!" Before Makoto could respond, Kisumi grabbed his hand and dragged him away.

"Nagisa-chan!" Kisumi yelled as they approached the team. Nagisa turned around and with a bright smile waved towards the two.

"Kisu-chan! You made it! Ah, I see you brought Mako-chan!"

"I sure did."

"Everyone, this is Kisumi and his friend Makoto. These are my teammates and friends, Sousuke, Rin, Rei and Haruka.

"It's nice to meet you Makoto," Rei said with a warm smile while he extended his hand for Makoto to take.

"It's nice to meet you too. I was very impressed with how well all of you swim," Makoto replied.

"That's why we're the best," Rin said with a grin.

"Don't get too cocky Rin," Sousuke said as he took Makoto's hand. Rin glared at him. Behind them Haruka couldn't take his eyes off of Makoto. Everything about the man seemed perfect. His green eyes, his strong muscles, and his warm smile – they were all so captivating. As if Makoto had sensed Haruka's eyes on him, he turned to look at him.

"It's nice to meet you Haruka," Makoto said as he extended his hand for Haruka to take. Haruka hesitated for a bit before he grabbed Makoto's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Why don't we go eat somewhere? I'm starving!" Nagisa yelled out.

"That sounds like a good idea. Kisumi, Makoto, are you two coming?" Rin asked as he looked at the two.

"Sure," Kisumi replied while Makoto nodded in agreement.

Makoto looked back at Haruka and smiled. For some reason he didn't want to look away. The beautiful blue eyes that were looking back at him somehow made him forget about everything and everyone else. Kisumi noticed Makoto's body language. He automatically knew that Haruka had grabbed his ex-lover's attention. It was something he knew would eventually happen, but he still wasn't ready to move on.


	2. Chapter 2

"So Makoto, are you really a fireman or are you a "fireman" if you get what I'm saying?" Nagisa asked with a wink. The group had gone out to a local restaurant after the swimming tournament. It wasn't hard to decide where to go since Rin had already decided for them. No one felt like arguing since the food was one of the best in town.

Makoto laughed nervously, "I'm a firefighter Nagisa. Don't get any funny ideas."

"Aww really! Well at least I can say I know a firefighter!" Nagisa replied as he took a bite from his sandwich.

"It's not a surprise that you are. You have the right build to be a firefighter," Sousuke added as he took a piece of meat from Rin's plate with his chopsticks. Rin glared at him and stole a piece of meat from Sousuke's plate as revenge and ate it in one gulp. Realizing that Sousuke had put hot sauce on it, Rin was practically dying to grab his glass of water and gulp it down.

"How are things working out for you as a host?" Nagisa asked Kisumi who was trying not to laugh at Rin's misfortune.

"It's going just fine. I'm one of the top hosts at the club right now."

"Wow, that must be interesting," Rei said.

"What do you do Rei?" Makoto asked, wanting to know more about Nagisa's friends.

"I'm a surgeon, but I always make time to swim and enter tournaments. Plus, Nagisa wasn't going to let me quit."

"It'd be no fun with just RinRin and Sou-chan. They'd be making out like crazy while I'd have no one to make out with!" Nagisa replied. Makoto laughed a little. He had met Nagisa a few times before so he was still getting used to his personality. Looking over at Haruka, Makoto noticed that he was silently eating his mackerel, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone but the fish on his plate.

"Haru, is mackerel your favorite dish?" Makoto asked, wanting to bring Haruka into the conversation. Haruka slowly looked up from his plate and nodded. He didn't waste any time to look back at his plate and continue to eat. Noticing the disappointed look on Makoto's face, Rin smirked and patted Haruka on the shoulder.

"Don't take offense Makoto. This guy doesn't want to talk to anyone when he's eating mackerel. There are two things no one can win against when it comes to Haru, mackerel and water."

"I see. Well Haru, if you want I can order you another plate. I don't think you're going to get full with just that."

Haruka looked up at Makoto with a surprised look on his face. It was almost as if Makoto had turned into an angel and was brought into his life to feed him mackerel. Without any hesitation Haruka nodded his head, telling Makoto that he indeed would like another order. Makoto smiled and called the waiter over to order another plate of mackerel.

"Wow Mako-chan! You're really nice! Usually we'd let Haru only have one dish since that order is so damn expensive!" Nagisa nearly yelled out.

"If anyone else wants anything let me know. I just got paid yesterday so I wouldn't mind spending some of it on new friends," Makoto replied.

"Well, if you insist…" Rin said as he started to lift up his hand to call over the waiter. Sousuke quickly grabbed his hand and put it back down.

"You're not going to take advantage of Makoto's kindness. If you want something, then tell me. I'll buy it for you."

"Hehe, looks like Sou-chan got jealous," Nagisa said in a teasing way. Rin and Sousuke couldn't help but blush and looked down at their plates to keep from looking at Nagisa's grinning face.

"I guess I'll order something for dessert," Kisumi said as he looked at Makoto.

"Order away," Makoto replied.

Haruka looked at the two and noticed how close they were. He didn't know that much about Kisumi since he had only seen him once or twice. He wondered how long the two had known each other. It was strange since Haruka didn't usually want to know more about anyone, but Makoto was different.

After a few minutes the waiter had arrived with Haruka's second dish of mackerel and Kisumi's dessert. Nagisa continued to ask questions like what Makoto liked to do during his free time, what his favorite show was, where his family was and many other things that Haruka secretly wanted to know too. The two hours they had all spent in the restaurant had gone by in a flash as they all exited and made their way onto the sidewalk.

"So we'll see each other next week?" Nagisa asked Kisumi while he clung onto Rei.

"Sounds fine with me," Kisumi replied. "It was nice meeting you all. We should do this again some time soon."

"Sure. Makoto can pay for all of us," Rin replied with a grin on his face. Makoto smiled nervously.

"Haru-chan, do you want Rei and I to walk with you to your house?" Nagisa asked as he looked over at Haruka who was paying no mind to anyone.

"I'll be fine. I wouldn't want to delay your passionate night," Haruka replied nonchalantly. Rei felt his face heat up.

"And this is why we need to find someone for you! I'm always sad to see you leaving all by yourself while I have Rei and RinRin has Sousuke!"

"I can walk Haru home," Makoto said, "If that's okay with Haru of course. Kisumi needs to stop by at his job so I wouldn't mind getting home a little late."

Haruka looked over at Makoto's smiling face. He wasn't sure how to respond to Makoto's offer. Sure, he would love to walk alone with Makoto and get some one on one time, but at the same time he felt like he'd bore Makoto since he didn't talk that much. Thinking it through, Haruka decided to take the risk and nodded his head. "Thanks," was all he could say in return.

"Great. I'll see you at home Kisumi," Makoto said as he started to walk off with Haruka. "Bye everyone!"

"See you Mako!" Rin replied as the two walked off.

"Hey Kisu-chan…Are you and Makoto seriously not thinking about getting back together?" Nagisa said. All eyes went to Kisumi who was watching Makoto walk off with Haruka.

"No, we decided that we were better off as friends."

"So if something happened between Haru-chan and Mako-chan, you wouldn't mind right? Because honestly I want that to happen!" Nagisa nearly yelled in excitement.

"No, it wouldn't bother me at all," Kisumi replied with a smile. Even though he said that, deep down he knew he didn't want anyone else to be by Makoto's side. He still had hope that they could rekindle their relationship and start anew. If Makoto did start having feelings for Haruka, Kisumi wasn't sure how he would handle it. For now, all he could do was hope that it wouldn't happen.


	3. Chapter 3

The walk to Haruka's house was oddly comforting to Haruka as he silently listened to Makoto talk about his duty as a firefighter. The taller male had a lot of interesting stories that kept Haruka's attention, making him want to know more about the hero he had come to meet. He also found it nice that Makoto didn't force him to reply or add to the conversation, like he could already tell that Haruka was more of the listening type rather than one to talk.

"I remember the first day on the job. That was really scary. The fire was really big and we had to rescue a teenage girl and her puppy from the house. I almost froze once I saw how big it had gotten, but after hearing the mother cry out for someone to save them; I pushed away all the fear and ran inside to rescue them."

"Really?" Haruka replied, interested in the story and amazed at how tough Makoto had to be in order to be a firefighter.

"Yeah. Even though it was scary, once we all made it out safe and sound, I felt really great. Everyone had gotten out without getting hurt and we were able to stop the fire before it spread over to the other houses."

"Hmm."

The two continued to walk off while Makoto continued to share a few more stories. Haruka couldn't believe how fast the time had gone once they arrived to Haruka's place.

"This is where you live Haru?" Makoto asked a bit surprised as they made it to their destination. Haruka nodded, wondering why Makoto was so shocked about it. "Wow, it's a small world. My family actually lives right here," Makoto said as he pointed to the door right next to him. "It's too late to pay them a visit, but it's nice to know that you practically live right next door."

"I've met your family. They're all really nice," Haruka replied. Deep down he was amazed that Makoto was the Makoto that Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana had always mentioned whenever they had small conversations with Haruka and his grand-mother. It always made Haruka wonder if the two would have become best friends if Makoto had been around when he moved in with his grand-mother years ago.

"Then the next time my parents invite me over for dinner, I'll ask if you can come too. How does that sound?"

"Will there be mackerel?"

Makoto laughed a little, "I'll make sure there is."

Haruka nodded his head. He didn't really want to say good-bye and go back to his house. He wanted to stay by Makoto's side, at least for a while longer. Somehow his hopeful wishing was answered as the stray white cat he had grown used to seeing everyday popped up and made its way over to Haruka.

"Aww a cat! Is he yours Haru?"

"No, he's a stray."

Makoto leaned down and stretched out his hand to the white stray. "Hi there. I'm Makoto." The white cat stared at Makoto for a few seconds before he slowly walked over and sniffed Makoto's hand. After getting Makoto's scent, the white cat gently started to rub his head against Makoto's hand and purred in delight.

"It looks like she likes you," Haruka said as he looked at the two.

"She's really friendly. I always wanted a cat but the twins are allergic and we aren't allowed to have pets at the apartment."

"Then you should come over some time. I let her into my house when she's around."

"That's really nice of you Haru. If it isn't a bother, I'd really like that. Do you mind if we exchange numbers? It'll be easier to stay in contact."

Haruka felt his heart skip a beat at that moment. Everything had been going so well, he wondered why luck was on his side. He took out his phone as Makoto did the same. The two quickly exchanged numbers and put their phones away.

"I'll talk you later Haru. Have a good night."

"You too."

"Bye kitty."

Makoto patted the cat's head one last time before he got up, turned around and walked off. Haruka watched as Makoto left, feeling a mixture of excitement and worry at the same time. They'd be able to see each other again and hang out. They'd get to know each other better and probably become friends. That's what Haruka hoped for. It wasn't everyday that a perfect angel such as Makoto would appear in his life.

Crouching down to pick up the white cat, Haruka turned around and made his way over to his house. At least the small fur ball always gave him company. Even though Haruka didn't show it in front of his friends, deep down, he was lonely. Nagisa had Rei and Rin had Sousuke. They were always making sure they didn't leave Haruka out, but Haruka hated feeling like a bother. He didn't want to get too carried away with his wishful thinking when it came to Makoto. They had just met and by the looks of it Makoto couldn't be single. How could he?

Deciding not to think about it anymore, Haruka made his way inside with his furry friend and hoped that he'd be able to get a good night sleep.

XXXX

Rin clutched the bed sheets underneath him while Sousuke nipped at his neck. Since they had started to live together, every other night would end up with their bodies tangled up. Sousuke leaned away and looked down at Rin's heated face. He liked the way he was able to make the proud young man into a lustful mess.

"I want to ask you something," Sousuke started.

"What is it?" Rin asked, wondering why his lover wanted to talk instead of continue with what they were doing.

"You know my shoulder still needs to fully heal and sometimes I might not be able to do competitions."

"I already told you Sou, we're not going to do any relays without you."

"But that's only going to keep you back."

"What are you getting at? That we kick you off the team and find someone else?" Rin asked a bit ticked off with the whole conversation.

"No, I want to stay on the team. I just think it'd be a good idea to have a back up swimmer if I can't compete."

"Do you have someone in mind?"

"I was thinking Makoto. Didn't Nagisa say that Makoto used to swim in middle school?"

"That is true. He has pretty much the same build as you. It would be a good idea. We can ask Nagisa about it tomorrow and see what he thinks."

"Thanks Rin."

"Yeah, yeah, now…" Rin said as he wrapped his arms around Sousuke's neck and pulled him back down, "Don't keep me waiting." Sousuke smirked and leaned down to press his lips against Rin's. Sousuke only hoped Rin wouldn't blame him for a sore back the next day.

XXXX

"I'm home!" Kisumi said as he made it inside the apartment. It was already a quarter passed three in the morning. He had been dragged into staying at the host club by a few of his clients. Of course as a top host, Kisumi knew he couldn't deny their requests, even if it was his night off. Walking over to the living room, Kisumi noticed that all the lights were off. It wasn't a surprise that Makoto had already gone to sleep. He had to wake up early to head over to the fire station. Making his way over to Makoto's room, Kisumi quietly opened the door and peeked inside. Makoto was fast asleep, hugging onto one of his pillows while his covers had made their way off of the lower part of his body.

Smiling Kisumi silently walked inside and placed the covers over Makoto's legs. Looking at him sleep was something Kisumi realized that he liked to do. Makoto had a calm face in his sleep, one that would instantly make anyone forget about their long day or any nightmare that shook them awake. Looking over at the night stand, Kisumi noticed that Makoto's phone had lit up. Curious, he walked over and picked it up. There were a few new messages. One from one of his co-workers telling him he'd see him in the morning, another from Ren that said good-night, another from Ran that said the same thing, and one more from Haruka that said he'd be able to make it to dinner on Friday night.

That was the text that caught Kisumi's attention. The two had just met each other and now they already had each other's numbers. Kisumi didn't know how to feel about it. A part of him wanted to throw the phone on the floor, get in bed with Makoto and passionately make love like they used to…but the other part of him told him he couldn't do such a thing. Makoto was a very important person in his life. He didn't want to do anything to tarnish that bond.

Placing the phone back on the night stand, Kisumi glanced over at Makoto one last time before he made his way out of the room. He'd have to push away his feelings along with the loneliness he felt of not sharing a bed, of not feeling strong arms wrapped around him…of not feeling Makoto.


	4. Chapter 4

The bed felt warm as if another source of heat had joined Makoto during his slumber. He slowly started to open his eyes and found that the source possessed bubblegum pink hair. Looking down, Makoto noticed Kisumi next to him and realized that Kisumi's arm was around his waist. It was a nostalgic feeling waking up to Kisumi's sleeping face and body close to his. When they had started dating, Makoto always kissed Kisumi's face all around until the other woke up. It was a routine they had grown accustomed to, but a routine they had to give up after they decided to end things.

Makoto slowly started to get out of bed, trying not to wake Kisumi up in the process. As gentle as he was, he couldn't prevent Kisumi from waking up and looking right up at his face. They were silent for a moment while Kisumi started to fully awake from his sleep. His eyes shot wide open and he quickly lifted himself up.

"I didn't mean to sleep next to you. I just…had a nightmare and thought I'd be safer with you by my side," Kisumi said, not making eye contact with Makoto.

"It's okay Kisumi. I was just a little surprised," Makoto replied with a gentle smile. "You can stay here and sleep in as much as you want."

"Mako…You really shouldn't be this nice. If you get a new lover, what is he going to think about you letting your ex sleep in your bed?"

Makoto blushed and nervously scratched the back of his head. "I don't think you have to worry about that any time soon. Besides, you're still my friend and I want to make sure you don't overwork yourself."

"I see…How did things go with Haruka last night? You two seemed to get along well."

"Ah Haru is really great! He doesn't talk much, but somehow it feels like we can still have a good conversation even if he doesn't say a lot. He also lives right next to my parents! Isn't that a coincidence? And he takes care of this cute stray cat! You should have seen her Kisumi! She was so cute!"

Kisumi laughed a little, "You never change…So he lives right next to the Tachibana family…That is a coincidence. It looks like you'll be good friends from the looks of it."

"We're all going to be good friends. Haru and the others seem really nice so hopefully we can all hang out more often like last night."

"Trust me, Nagisa feels the same way. Anyway, I'll let you get ready for work. I'm going back to my room." Kisumi got up and off the bed and walked towards the door. He stopped and looked back at Makoto. "Mako…"

"Yeah?"

"…Nothing, never mind. Take care. I'll see you later." Kisumi turned back around and walked out of the room. Makoto stared at the closed door for a moment, wondering what Kisumi wanted to say. The sound of his phone vibrating snapped him out of his thoughts and turned his attention onto the device sitting right next to him. He'd have to wonder about things later, his work was calling.

XXXX

"Haru-chan, have some more self control!" Nagisa yelled as Haruka was swimming through the pool without a care in the world. Rei, Sousuke and Rin were standing right beside the short blonde male as he waved his hands frantically at an uncaring Haruka. Nagisa sighed in defeat once he saw he wasn't getting through to the water loving boy.

"Haru-chan is so stubborn!"

"It's not worth the stress Nagisa. Just let him be," Sousuke replied.

"Besides, I have a request to ask," Rin said.

"What is it?" Nagisa replied.

"Well Sou and I were thinking last night that since his shoulder isn't fully healed, it would be a good idea to have a back up for him. That way we won't have to miss out on some competitions."

"Oh! I like that idea! Do you two already have someone in mind?" Nagisa asked.

"We were thinking Makoto would be perfect for the spot," Rin responded, "He has the same build as Sousuke and he knows how to swim."

"That sounds great! Yes! Mako-chan can be on our team!" Nagisa yelled in delight. This caught the attention of a certain water loving young man who quickly brought his head up and out of the water. He swayed his hair to the side and looked directly at Rin.

"So you want Makoto to swim with us?" Haruka asked.

"That's right. Of course we'll have to see what he says first, but something tells me he'll definitely say yes," Rin replied with a grin. "Maybe you can be the one to ask him Haru."

"Hmm, it would be a good idea if Haruka's the one to ask," Rei added.

"Then it's settled! Haru-chan, you'll ask Mako-chan by tomorrow, got it! That's an order from your manager!"

Haruka wasn't sure how to feel about the sudden task. It would give him a reason to talk to Makoto, but at the same time he felt butterflies in his stomach just thinking about initiating a conversation with the handsome male. If Makoto joined the team it would definitely be a lot more interesting. Haruka nodded in agreement, knowing that no matter what he said, Nagisa wasn't going to let him get out of it.

XXXX

A yawn escaped Makoto's mouth as he left the fire station around 9pm. He was glad that there weren't any extreme emergencies throughout the day. He was happy to help a little girl get her cat safely down from a tree and that he was able to prevent a small fire from turning into a bigger one at a house party. Looking down at his phone Makoto contemplated on whether or not he should text Haruka. He kept coming to Makoto's mind during the day and every time he found himself smiling for no reason.

Thinking it through Makoto decided he'd go over to Haruka's place to see if the stray cat was there and see if Haruka wanted to go out for lunch the next day. Once he arrived, he knocked on the door but no one answered. Makoto found it strange since he definitely saw a few lights on. He knocked again but there was still no answer. Thinking the worst, Makoto quickly ran to the back and to his surprise and relief the back door was opened.

Makoto quickly ran inside and looked all over but there was no sign of Haruka on the first floor. He made his way over to the stairs and ran up to the second floor. A door was opened a little as light came into the hallway. Makoto ran over and rushed inside. He saw Haruka lying down in his bathtub full of water. Panic-stricken Makoto ran to Haruka's side, lifted him out of the water and pressed his lips against Haruka's to give him CPR.

He heard a small gasp escape Haruka's mouth as he leaned away and looked into surprised blue eyes. "Haru, are you okay?!" Makoto asked, wanting to make sure that the other male was indeed fine. Haruka slowly nodded, feeling a bit shy that Makoto was still holding onto him.

"Makoto…I wasn't in any danger."

"Huh?"

"I was trying to see if I could hold my breath longer. I've been practicing every day."

"How long were you in there?" Makoto replied.

"Almost six minutes."

"Oh Haru…I thought something happened to you. I knocked for a while but you never answered. So I got worried and came inside…Wait…Haru, why was your back door opened?! That's dangerous!"

"No one's going to break in."

"You can't be so sure! I'm locking it once I leave, okay?"

"Hmm."

Makoto stared into Haruka's blue eyes that were looking back at him. Realizing that he was still holding onto Haruka, Makoto blushed a little and gently let go of him. "Ah sorry Haru. I'm also sorry about the CPR. I panicked."

"It's okay. Thanks for worrying."

"I came to see if the cat was here and to ask if you wanted to go out to lunch tomorrow."

Haruka's eyes went wide as he looked to the side. "Sure…The cat isn't around today, so I'll let you know the next time she's here."

"I'd like that. So does tomorrow at one sound good? That's when I have my lunch break."

"Yeah."

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow Haru."

"Wait."

Makoto stopped himself and looked back at Haruka. "Nagisa told me to ask you if you'd like to be the back up member of our team. Sousuke had a shoulder injury a few years ago and he's still healing so sometimes he can't do relays. That's why we think it'd be a good idea to have a back up."

"Is there a particular style that Sousuke swims?"

"Backstroke."

"Really?! That's the one I'm the best at! Tell Nagisa and the others I'd be happy to help!"

"It won't interfere with your work?"

"I'll find a way, don't worry Haru. I'm looking forward to swimming with you."

Haruka's face heated up a bit. He couldn't believe how easy it was to convince Makoto to be on their team. Then again Makoto seemed like the type to want to help people; he was a fire fighter after all. Haruka smiled a little as Makoto got up and stretched his hand out towards Haruka.

"Let me help you."

Haruka hesitated for a bit before he grabbed Makoto's hand and stood up. It was the first time someone had reached their hand out to him and the first time he actually didn't mind getting out of his beloved water.


	5. Chapter 5

Haruka's phone continued to vibrate for the fifth time that morning. The blonde haired male on the other end was persistent. Nevertheless Haruka decided to ignore him while he finished cooking his beloved mackerel. He wasn't going to let anyone get in his way of enjoying his favorite meal of the day. Placing the chopsticks down and turning off the stove, Haruka walked over to the cabinet and took out a plate.

The phone vibrated yet again, making Haruka wonder how long Nagisa would continue to call and send texts. He had sent the smaller male a message the night before after Makoto left stating that Makoto had agreed to be Sousuke's back-up. He assumed Nagisa didn't respond then and there because he was most likely indulging himself with his lover until sunrise. It wasn't Haruka's fault that he couldn't stop for one minute to read and reply to one text. Nagisa knew how precious the mornings were to Haruka.

Walking over to the dining table, Haruka placed the plate down and glanced down at the phone. He noticed the six missed calls and seven new text messages. Curious to see if Nagisa had sent any mad texts, Haruka unlocked his phone and checked. His eyes lit up when he saw that one of the texts was from Makoto, wishing him a good morning and telling him where and at what time they would meet.

Was it normal to feel so giddy from one small text? Haruka re-read the message a few more times, wondering if he should reply since Makoto had sent the text over an hour ago and was most likely working at the current moment. Thinking it through again, he thought it was best to at least say "see you then," to let Makoto know that he was still going to meet with him. Texting as slow as he possibly could, Haruka wrote "see you then," before sending it Makoto's way. He put down his phone after that, not curious about what Nagisa had to say anymore.

Looking down at his apron, Haruka realized there was something very important he needed to do before noon…Figure out what to wear.

XXXX

Makoto smiled brightly when he got a reply from Haruka. Of course it was a simple confirmation, but he still liked knowing that Haruka had taken the time to reply. He was looking forward to seeing Haruka. Whenever they were around each other, Makoto felt at ease, as if he could say anything and everything to the other male.

As much as Makoto wished he could stare at his phone until noon, he soon snapped out of it once the alarm system started to go off. There was an emergency fire that he needed to get to. Putting his phone down on his desk, Makoto quickly ran off and got ready with his fellow co-workers.

XXXX

"Haru-chan won't answer!" Nagisa yelled while he tried to call for the tenth time that morning. Rei had finished preparing breakfast for the two and sat on the other side of his angry lover.

"He's probably eating breakfast or in his bathtub. You know Haruka-senpai doesn't like to be bothered in the morning."

"But I want to make sure that Makoto really is going to join the team! Damn it! I should have asked Mako-chan for his number!"

"Why don't you ask Kisumi for it?"

"That's right! Kisu-chan definitely should have it! Rei-chan, why didn't you suggest this sooner instead of letting me call Haru-chan like an idiot?!"

Rei laughed a little, "I thought it was a little humorous." Nagisa glared at Rei before he got up and tackled Rei to the ground. Breakfast was going to have to wait a while longer.

XXXX

A pile of clothes had built up in the corner of Haruka's room after agonizing minutes of looking for something to wear. He ended up choosing a black v-neck shirt, dark blue jeans and a pair of sneakers. He looked at himself in his body length mirror and made sure that everything looked just fine. Happy with the way he looked Haruka grabbed his phone and made his way out of his room and down the stairs.

XXXX

After putting out a house fire and rescuing a mother and her two sons, Makoto was changing out of his uniform and into clothes that he had brought with him to work. A green shirt, black jeans and converse was the outfit he had chosen to see Haruka with. Looking at the clock, he noticed there were only ten more minutes before noon. Grabbing his phone and wallet, Makoto rushed out of his office and down the pole.

He quickly said "see you later" to all of his co-workers before running off. He could hear their teasing as he ran off. It was obvious he was meeting up with someone. What they didn't know was who that someone was.

XXXX

Haruka had agreed to meet Makoto at the entrance of a small fast food place a few blocks away from the fire station. He stood motionless while looking around to see if the olive haired man was anywhere nearby. As he searched, he felt his heart beat increase every second. When was the last time he had been so nervous? Looking to the side he spotted Makoto running towards him with a smile on his face.

Even if he was just wearing casual clothes like any other person around, Makoto stood out from all of the rest with his gorgeous smile and gleaming eyes. Trying not to get too awe struck, Haruka waited patiently for Makoto to stop in front of him.

"I'm sorry I'm a little late Haru! There was a fire that we had to quickly go put out."

"It's fine. Did everything end up okay?"

"Yeah! The family was okay and we were able to put out the fire before it got worse."

"That's good."

"It is…So, should we go inside?"

Haruka nodded in response as the two walked inside. On the other side of the street, Kisumi was watching them. He felt a tinge of jealousy course through him. Why was it so hard to accept that Makoto was no longer his and move on? Perhaps it was because he knew he wouldn't find anyone else like Makoto. He was one of a kind, a treasure that was hard to find in their world. He didn't have anything against Haruka, but he definitely wasn't going to let him have what belonged to him.


	6. Chapter 6

Having lunch with Makoto was one of the best things Haruka had ever agreed to do. At least that's what he thought while the two sat across from each other in a small fast food restaurant. Sure, it was a shame that they didn't serve his beloved mackerel, but he loved the look on Makoto's face as he bit into his overly large hamburger. It was clear that the taller male was indeed hungry. Haruka, on the other hand, had ordered a medium sized stack of fries, a small drink and a small cheeseburger from the dollar menu.

Makoto happily smiled as he placed his bitten burger down and looked at Haruka. "Thanks for giving me some company Haru. Normally I eat lunch with the guys back at the fire station, but I thought it'd be nice to hang out for a while."

"Its fine," Haruka replied while he took a sip from his soda.

"Sorry if I'm eating a lot. I didn't have a lot of time to eat breakfast this morning," Makoto said with an embarrassed tone.

"Don't worry. You look happy when you eat. It's nice."

A small blush started to form across Makoto's face. He quickly looked down at his fries and placed one into his mouth. Haruka took another long sip from his soda, regretting what he had just said. Looking to the side, he noticed a group of what looked to be teenage girls, probably around sixteen and seventeen, looking towards them with smiling faces and giggly whispers.

"So Haru, how long have you been swimming?" Makoto asked, diverting Haruka's attention away from the teenagers and back onto him.

"Water was my first love. Since that day, I started to swim."

"Your first love?" Makoto responded with a confused look on his face.

"Yes, water was my first love. I joined a swim team in middle school and then Nagisa forced me to join the swim team in high school."

"Ah, so that's how it is. That's really amazing Haru! Although, are you sure water was your first love?"

Haruka nodded in response while he placed another French fry in his mouth. He knew it sounded ridiculous, but it was the truth and he wasn't ashamed of it. Makoto smiled after thinking it through. "Well that's a great first love."

"What about you? …Your first love."

"Ah, mine. Well, my first love was in middle school. I liked a friend of mine a lot and things ended up happening when we got older. I still cherish it, but somehow it wasn't as strong as I thought it was."

"Hmm…Then you're not seeing anyone right now?" Haruka asked. He wanted to slap himself for making yet another mistake of asking a dumb question.

"No, no one…What about you Haru?"

"No one."

There was another silence between the two as they looked down at their food. From a third party perspective, it would look like the two were on their first awkward date, testing the waters and trying to figure out if the other person felt the same way. Luckily for Haruka, Makoto's phone started to ring, taking them out of the awkward silence they had created.

"Ah, one moment Haru, it's Nagisa."

Haruka sighed as Makoto answered the phone, "Hi Nagisa, how are you? Ah, this Friday night…Hmm, I think I can make it. I'll double check and let you know. Huh? Haru? He's with me…Ah, okay I'll let him know. Haha, okay see you." Makoto hung up the call and looked at Haruka who was mindlessly slurping his drink.

"Nagisa wants me to join you guys this Friday during your practice. He also said to make sure you're on time for today's practice session."

"Are you going to come on Friday?" Haruka asked, hoping that Makoto would be able to.

"I think I'll be able to. The host club where Kisumi works is having a party that night to praise all of the hosts that work there. He wants me to go with him, but it's probably not going to start until late at night."

"Have you gone to that club before?"

"Umm, a few times, but only to give Kisumi something or pick him up," Makoto replied nervously. Haruka nodded and was internally glad that Makoto wasn't a client. He was sure that any host would want to spend time with Makoto. He could even picture Makoto working as a host himself.

"Have you ever thought of working as a host?" Haruka asked. Yeah, he did it again. Asked a question he shouldn't have asked.

Makoto laughed a bit, "No, it never caught my interest. The manager did want to recruit me when Kisumi started working there, but it wasn't something I wanted to do."

"Then you always wanted to be a firefighter?"

"There was a time where I wanted to be a veterinarian and a time I wanted to be a swim coach since I taught my siblings how to swim, but in the end becoming a firefighter seemed like the best option. What about you Haru?"

"It's always been swimming…but I like swimming free. I didn't want to do it as a job until Rin convinced me."

"You really do swim like a dolphin. It's really beautiful. Ah! I'm sure my parents and my siblings would love to see you swim! Maybe they can come at the next tournament, well if you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind."

"Great, then I'll let them know. You'll still be able to come over some time to eat dinner with us, right? Maybe this Saturday?"

Haruka nodded his head, "I can go." It was fun being around Makoto and he wanted to see how he interacted with his family. The Tachibana family was known for being nice people, so it wasn't a surprise that Makoto was the same way.

"I'm glad we met Haru. You're easy to talk to."

"You too."

Makoto smiled while he took another bite out of his burger. Haruka went along and started to eat his tiny one in comparison. He was definitely looking forward to Friday and Saturday now. There were butterflies in his stomach that he definitely didn't want to get rid of.

XXXX

"Thank you for your time. I'll see you again tomorrow," Kisumi said as he said his farewells to a young lady he had just spent time with. She was the fourth client he had so far that night and he knew he'd have a few more before he went home. Walking back to the main room where other hosts were currently mingling and flirting with their clients, Kisumi made his way over to the bar and sat down next to one of his co-workers.

"How did it go?" the co-worker asked while he took a sip of his drink.

"Same as always. She wanted me to spend the night at her place, but I declined."

"Why don't you just go with her? I hear she pays really well. I mean, you're not in a relationship, right?"

"No, but I don't feel like sleeping around with anyone."

"Unless you were going to sleep with Makoto." Kisumi looked over at his co-worker who looked back at him with a victorious grin. "So I'm right. You're still not over him."

"How could I get over him? Makoto is…perfect."

"You know, you can always try to win him back. It's not impossible."

"It's not that easy. It looks like he might have his eyes on someone else."

"Wow, that's a bummer Kisu, but they're not a couple, right?"

"I don't think so, they just met," Kisumi replied, hoping deep down that Makoto was still on the market.

"Then try to seduce him back into a relationship this Friday at the party. Show him how much you love him. It's worth a try."

Kisumi looked down at his hand. He used to wear the promise ring Makoto had given him four months into their relationship. He didn't wear it anymore, but he still had it in his pocket every day. It was a gift he would always cherish. Maybe there truly was a possibility on getting him back. His happy ending included Makoto so he'd have to make sure it ended up that way.

XXXX

Haruka noticed that his thoughts currently weren't on the movie he was supposed to be watching. He had just returned from practice about an hour ago and wanted to relax by watching a movie, of course that revolved around water, and eat some of the left over mackerel he had saved for the evening. Swimming practice was always exhausting. Not because of the swimming, but because of the people there. Nagisa couldn't be quiet on how excited he was for Makoto to join their team, Rei talked about strategies to use Makoto, Rin and Sousuke talked about Makoto's physique and compared it to Sousuke's, trying to figure out how everything would work.

All of the talk of Makoto left him wanting to be with Makoto. The time they had together during lunch was too short. He had wanted to invite Makoto over, but he thought it would be a little too much since he would already see Makoto later in the week. Grabbing his phone and logging onto social media, Haruka decided to check Makoto's page, since they had added each other before they parted ways earlier, for another form of communication. Looking through Makoto's page he noticed how many friends he had and the pictures of himself, with friends and family over the years.

Haruka couldn't help but smile as he looked through the pictures. Makoto had a very attractive smile. He was curious to look into the tagged pictures so he decided to check it out. He saw Makoto with a group of different people, with his family, and came across a picture that almost made his entire body heat up. He had heard of sexy firefighter pictures, but he never dreamed that Makoto would be in one of them. Looking at the picture, he couldn't take his eyes off of Makoto's shiny upper body. It wasn't just the body, but the way Makoto's green eyes screamed "SEX APPEAL!" Scrolling down to see the comments, Haruka noticed a lot of flirty ones from women and kudos from men. He also noticed Makoto's replies to some of them, saying he really can't believe they entered him to be on the calendar.

Haruka laughed a little, imagining Makoto's embarrassed face if he were to bring up the topic of the picture. Maybe when they grew closer he would ask, but for now, he was going to save that picture and keep it. Going through more pictures, Haruka came across some with Kisumi. They looked really close in all of them, but the picture that surprised him the most was the one where Kisumi was kissing Makoto's cheek. The caption under the picture read: "The best boyfriend I could ask for."

Boyfriend…So Makoto's first love was Kisumi. Haruka wasn't sure how to react to it. The two were still good friends from the looks of it and they even lived together. Was it normal for that to happen? Was it normal for those feelings to be pushed aside and left in the past? Haruka sat there wondering while he kept staring at the picture. Even if it was the past, there was something, a gut feeling that told him Kisumi still loved Makoto.


	7. Chapter 7

Friday had arrived faster than Haruka imagined. He was silently celebrating while he and the rest of his friends were waiting for Makoto to arrive to practice. Since they had lunch together a few days ago, Haruka hadn't been able to see Makoto since he was busy with work. Sure they were able to text each other, but it wasn't the same. Haruka wanted to see Makoto face to face. He was so anxious to see the man that he hadn't even dived into the pool like he always did. What was Makoto doing to him?

"Hey Mako-chan! You made it!" Nagisa cheered in delight as Makoto made his way over to the pool. Haruka couldn't help but stare at Makoto's chiseled body. He definitely had the right build for a swimmer.

"I thought I was going to be late. A few of my co-workers took me out to eat after work," Makoto replied.

"Well what matters is that you're here. You can start off by showing us your backstroke," Rin said with a big grin. Haruka could tell that the red head was as happy as Nagisa.

"Sure."

Makoto walked over to the pool and got into position. Everyone watched carefully as Makoto pushed himself into the water and started to swim with incredible speed. Rin and Sousuke looked on with approving looks, Nagisa was estatic, Rei was calculating Makoto's every move, while Haruka watched in amazement. It didn't take long for Makoto to swim back and look up at them.

"How was that?" Makoto asked while panting a little.

"That was GREAT!" Nagisa cheered. "You're definitely the right guy!"

"Looks like we found you're double Sou. Welcome to the team Makoto," Rin said with a toothy grin.

"Your backstroke was so beautiful Makoto-senpai!" Rei exclaimed.

Makoto laughed a bit, "I'm glad I'll be able to help out. It's been a while since I last swam."

"What do you think Haru-chan?! Isn't he amazing?!" Nagisa shouted as he grabbed onto Haruka's arm.

"Yeah," was the only reply Haruka could give since he was still trying to recover from the sight he had just witnessed. The water seemed to like Makoto from what he had seen. It propelled his body like it did whenever Haruka was swimming. Maybe that was a sign that Makoto was the so called "soul-mate" Haruka was destined to meet.

Getting out of the pool, Makoto smiled at the group of men. "Is there anything I need to know? Any rules or guidelines?"

Nagisa jumped up and down before running over to Makoto's side. "You can leave that to me Mako-chan! As your swim coach I'll make sure you know everything there is to know about our team!"

"I'm looking forward to it," Makoto replied. He looked over at Haruka who quickly looked away with a slight blush on his face. Haruka didn't realize he had been staring. He hoped Makoto didn't notice.

"Alright team, let's start practicing! Mako, we'll let you see our relay a few times before we replace Sou, got it?" Rin said.

"Got it!"

"In position everyone!" Rin commanded as everyone got into position. Makoto stood at the side with Nagisa who was filling him in on everyone's special swimming technique. Makoto was fascinated by how fast Rin swam and how fast he had made it back in order for Rei to dive into the pool. They definitely had the stamina of a team. Their timing was in sync and their focus on each other was well trained. Sousuke dived in next showing off a well performed backstroke that made Makoto feel a bit uneasy about his own. At last, Haruka dived into the pool and moved through the water with ease. It was even more amazing then what he had seen at the tournament. Haruka was swimming free and all of his movements were flawless.

As Haruka made it back and slammed his hand against the edge of the water, Nagisa cheered in delight. Makoto walked over to the raven haired man who was still in the pool and reached out his hand. "That was amazing Haru! Let's continue to do our best with the rest of the team!"

Haruka looked up at Makoto's dazzling smile and then at the out-stretched hand. He hesitantly reached out to grab it and felt Makoto helping him out of the water. He could get used to the new routine. Swimming practice was going to be a lot more interesting from that point on.

XXXX

The night was just beginning. Hosts, clients and invited guests were drinking, mingling, dancing, laughing and flirting all around. Makoto was currently sitting at a table with Kisumi and two of his female clients. While Kisumi was chatting away with the young women, Makoto was thinking about the earlier events that occurred in the day. He was looking forward to swimming with the guys, but what made him smile the most was knowing that he'd get to swim with Haruka.

Taking note of Makoto's dazed look, Kisumi thought it was better to spend the night alone with Makoto instead of trying to please his clients. Looking at the two women, Kisumi put on his best smile. "Ladies, would it be okay if we continue this chat tomorrow night? I wanted to spend some time with my friend over here since we've barely had time to hang out."

"Oh Kisumi of course that's okay with us! We'll see you tomorrow," one of the women replied. Kisumi kissed both of them on the cheek before they stood up and walked off to greet the other hosts. Kisumi looked over at Makoto and clapped his hands in front of the latter, finally snapping him out of his daze.

"Huh? Kisumi, what's wrong? What happened to your clients?" Makoto asked, obviously confused.

"I told them I wanted to spend some alone time with you. Weren't you listening?"

"Oh, um, sorry Kisumi, I was thinking about something. I must have lost myself in my thoughts," Makoto replied with a slight laugh.

"Well from now on stay here with me. Do you want another drink?"

"No thanks. I think one is enough."

Kisumi stared at Makoto for a few seconds before calling a waiter over and grabbing a bottle of liquor. He opened it and poured some into Makoto's empty glass. "We're here to relax and have a good time, so let's drink."

"Kisu…"

"Mako, trust me, everything will be fine."

XXXX

Kisumi was amazed at how fast everything had gone. He didn't realize when clothes had been taken off and when he and Makoto had made their way onto the hotel bed. Kisumi didn't want to take his lips away from Makoto's. He loved the feel of Makoto's hands sliding down his exposed body. It was a nostalgic feeling. Kisumi remembered all of the heated nights they shared when they were together. How much they wanted each other and needed each other. How after a long night at the host club, Kisumi would come home to snuggle next to Makoto and welcome the embrace from his half asleep lover.

Makoto took his lips away from Kisumi's and moved them to his jaw line and down his neck. He trailed kisses along the way while nipping at the skin every so often.

"Haru…"

Kisumi froze after hearing that name come out of Makoto's mouth. He could feel his heart slowly breaking and tears starting to form in his eyes. As much as he wanted to push Makoto away and smack him, he knew the best thing to do was brush it off and continue. He wanted to be embraced by Makoto again even if Makoto thought he was someone else. He didn't care if Makoto wasn't in the right state of mind, that's what he was after. That's the only way any of what was happening could have been possible.

Gripping onto Makoto's hair and moving his lips against his own, Kisumi longed to be the only one in Makoto's heart again. Somehow he'd make it happen. Conjoining their bodies was just the beginning. He wasn't going to easily give up his angel.

XXXX

Haruka waited patiently for his phone to light up and vibrate. He was lying on his bed recalling swim practice over and over again. He couldn't get his mind off of Makoto's charming smile and captivating body. He was definitely one of a kind and Haruka felt like he was the luckiest guy in the world to be by his side. They had agreed to talk later on in the night after Makoto had left the host party he was invited to.

Thinking about it, Haruka wondered how long those parties tended to last. It was already close to one in the morning and there was still no message from Makoto. Maybe the party was still young and Makoto couldn't find the time to shoot him a quick text. It was a little disappointing not knowing if he'd hear from the olive haired man.

While Rin was sleeping with Sousuke and Nagisa had Rei, Haruka was all alone in his room. He kept staring at his phone, wishing it were Makoto. He daydreamed of being embraced by those strong arms, about their lips touching again, about how it'd be if Makoto spent the night and they cuddled until the morning. Of course they hadn't known each other long and there was no clear indication that they'd start dating.

Sighing, Haruka pulled his blanket over his head and closed his eyes. He felt like he was getting too carried away with his thoughts. Things wouldn't happen so easily. There was also the lingering question of whether or not Kisumi still had feelings for Makoto. In the end, fate wasn't that simple to figure out.


	8. Chapter 8

Makoto's head throbbed as he slowly started to open his eyes. He felt an arm wrapped around his waist and a head snuggled up against his chest. As his vision started to get better he looked over and noticed Kisumi sleeping beside him. They were both naked under the covers. Makoto's eyes went wide as he took in the sight of Kisumi and the hotel room, trying his hardest to remember what had happened the night before. He started to go into a mini panic as he couldn't remember how they had gotten there.

Kisumi started to groan and opened his eyes. He looked up at Makoto's concerned face and quickly lifted himself up. "Mako, what's wrong?"

"What happened last night? W-Why are we here?"

Kisumi looked down and away from Makoto. He couldn't help but feel a tiny bit guilty. "I don't remember much either, but I do remember drinking, coming here and making love. You were calling out my name while we were doing it…"

"I was?"

"You were Mako. It sounded like you still love me, like I still love you."

Makoto didn't know what to say. He was in complete shock. He didn't understand how he had gotten so drunk to the point where he ended up sleeping with Kisumi. He also couldn't understand why he would call out Kisumi's name. None of it made sense, but then again there was nothing he could do but accept it.

"I'm sorry Kisumi. I don't know why I was calling out your name. I want us to continue to just be friends."

"Is that what you really want Mako? After all we've gone through?" Kisumi hated the aching pain that had a hold of his heart. He didn't want to just be friends with the person he had fallen deeply in love with. If there was a chance to go back and continue where they left off then he would take it.

Makoto looked away from Kisumi, not wanting to meet his gaze. "Those will always be cherished memories and I do love you Kisu, but not in the way you think. You're my best friend and I really don't want to lose you because of something like this. So please, let's pretend this didn't happen and stay friends…Please."

The pain in Kisumi's heart felt heavier. He had the urge to grab Makoto and kiss him until he understood that they belonged together. Life wasn't being fair to him. An angel had appeared in his life, only to be his for a brief moment before he was pulled away. Grabbing onto Makoto's arm Kisumi couldn't find anything to say but just silently sobbed while embracing the warm body he could no longer call his.

XXXX

Haruka yawned in his hand as he continued to walk along the different aisles of the grocery store. He was still a bit amazed at how he was able to sleep in until noon. The first thing he did was check his phone, but sadly there were no messages from Makoto. Sighing, Haruka thought it was a good idea to get out of the house for a while. The grocery store seemed like the perfect place since he did need to stock up on food.

Now in the store and almost done with his shopping, the raven haired male decided that he'd buy some cat food for the stray cat that came to visit him every so often. Walking over to the pet food section he was surprised to see Makoto and his two younger siblings looking at cat toys.

"Do you think mom and dad will ever let us have a kitty?" Ran asked as she looked at the different toys.

"If you two can show them you'll be responsible," Makoto replied.

"I'd rather have a dog. They're more fun," Ren said.

"They are not!"

"Are too!"

"Ren, Ran, please don't fight. Come on, we came here to buy a few things for mom."

The twins sighed and nodded their heads in agreement. They turned around and noticed Haruka standing feet away. Makoto looked over too and couldn't help but smile once he saw the raven haired male. "Haru!"

"Hey Makoto."

"Haru! Are you here to buy things for the cute cat?" Ran asked as she skipped over to Haruka's side. Haruka nodded in response before he looked back at Makoto. He thought it was the best time to ask the other man out since fate had conveniently made it so they could meet up at a store. In all honesty he had wanted to hang out with the man again.

"Would you like to hang out at my place to watch a movie and eat dinner? You can see the cat too if she's there."

"That sounds great Haru! Also I'm really sorry for not contacting you last night. The party lasted longer than I thought and I didn't want to disturb you if you were already asleep."

"It's okay. I understand."

"Hey onnichan! Are you and Haru dating? Onnichan talks a lot about you Haru!" Ran said with a huge grin on her face.

"R-Ran!"

"It's true!" Ren added. Haruka noticed the slight blush on Makoto's face. It was cute to see the olive haired male look so embarrassed. Although he was glad the twins blurted that out. Haruka found himself mentioning Makoto a lot whenever he talked to the others which of course would always make Rin and Nagisa start teasing him. For some reason he really enjoyed the man's presence and would make up any excuse just to be around him.

Maybe it was a crush like Nagisa had happily exclaimed. Maybe the urge to be with Makoto and see his beautiful smile was telling him that he liked the man. He liked the man a lot.

XXXX

Dinner had been more entertaining than Haruka had imagined. Makoto had arrived to his house a little early and offered to help Haruka who was still cooking. Haruka found it funny and endearing how Makoto struggled with the simple task of cutting up vegetables. The poor man ended up cutting his finger a bit which earned him some personal aid from Haruka.

The two chatted away about swimming, their families and hobbies as they ate the dinner they had enjoyed cooking together. Afterwards the two found themselves sitting in Haruka's living room watching a movie Rin had recommended. Since it revolved around swimming Haruka didn't care what is was about and quickly accepted to watch it with Makoto. He regretted his decision as midway through the movie the two main characters had a very hot and steamy sex scene.

It made Haruka feel a bit embarrassed as he tried to look over at Makoto's reaction. The other man had a slight blush and awkward expression on his face while he kept his eyes on the screen. Rin was definitely going to pay for knowingly giving Haruka a movie with such a scene. Thankfully they only had to endure it for two minutes before the movie moved along and ended thirty minutes later.

"That was a pretty good movie. I'm glad the main characters ended up together," Makoto said while he stretched his arms and legs.

"I just liked the swimming scenes."

Makoto laughed, "Just the swimming scenes?" Haruka nodded. "Well the swimming scenes were suspenseful, but I think they would have looked even better if Haru-chan was in them."

Haruka blushed from the comment. Makoto quickly put his hand over his mouth in surprise before looking at the other man with an apologetic look. "Ah! I'm sorry Haru! I called you Haru-chan without even knowing it!"

"It's okay…"

"Are you sure? You don't seem to like it whenever Nagisa adds the 'chan'."

"I…like the way it sounds when you say it."

Haruka felt like punching himself in the face. Why did he blurt that out without thinking about it first? His blush turned a deeper shade of red as he realized his mistake. He needed to get away and cool himself off before he said something even more ridiculous.

"I-I'll go see if the cat is around." Haruka quickly got up and started to walk off. Makoto followed behind as he tried to catch up.

"Wait! Haru!"

Haruka didn't want to stop. He wanted to hurry up and find the cat to make Makoto forget all about what he had said. His mind was whirling and seemed to take his focus off of everything else. The front door was just a few feet away. He was almost there. As he reached for the door, he felt himself being grabbed from behind and placed against the closed door. Haruka didn't get a chance to react as he felt Makoto press his lips against his own.

Time seemed to have slowed down. All Haruka could hear was his heart beating loudly in his ears. He pressed his lips a bit harder against Makoto's, wanting to be as close to the man as he possibly could. The kiss was warm and inviting. It felt like they were both trying to convey their feelings to one another.

Makoto finally broke the kiss and leaned back to look at Haruka's flushed face. He wasn't sure what had gotten into him to act without thinking, but he supposed it was due to what Haruka had said. The way Haruka looked at him and smiled at him made him wonder if Haruka felt something for him. That little comment of his confirmed it.

"Haru…I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me. To tell you the truth, I…I like you."

Haruka looked at him in surprise before he smiled and leaned forward to kiss Makoto again. "I feel the same way…Makoto, can you stay here tonight?" Makoto smiled back and embraced Haruka in a tight hug. It was something he had wanted to do since he first laid eyes on the shorter man.

"I'd love to Haru-chan."


	9. Chapter 9

Haruka slowly started to wake up from his slumber. He felt Makoto's warm body against his while his arm was tightly wrapped around his waist. Haruka smiled and looked at the sleeping man. Makoto definitely was eye candy even when he was asleep. The two had fallen asleep on Haruka's bed after hours of talking. They had kissed a few more times before they decided it was late and they needed to get some shut eye in order to function the next day.

Haruka gently got out of bed making sure not to wake Makoto up and walked out of the room. He stripped his clothes off and got into his swimming trunks before filling up his bathtub and sitting in his precious water.

After a half hour of soaking in the bathtub, Haruka decided it was time to go make breakfast. He dried himself off and walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Putting on his blue apron, Haruka started to cook up some mackerel. He noticed the feeling of a smile plastered across his face since he had first gotten up. It was odd, but at the same time it felt nice. The reason for his smile was currently still asleep on his bed like a big teddy bear. He couldn't help but replay everything that had happened the night before in his mind. It was almost surreal.

Meanwhile, Makoto woke up and noticed that Haruka was no longer in bed. He slowly got out of bed and walked out of the room. He walked over to the bathroom to quickly wash up before he made his way back into the hallway. The smell of mackerel was in the air and coming from the kitchen. Makoto headed downstairs and found Haruka cooking with his swim trunks on and a blue apron. It definitely made the shorter man look cute.

"Good morning Haru-chan."

"Good morning. I'm making breakfast."

"You really love mackerel, don't you?" Makoto said with a slight chuckle. "Do you always cook breakfast like this?"

"Yes."

"I see," Makoto replied with a nervous smile. "Anyway, I'm going to go over my parent's house to change my clothes. I'll be back."

Haruka nodded his head without having to turn around. He was far too focused on the mackerel, making sure it didn't burn from a few seconds of taking his eyes away from it. Makoto walked over and gently kissed Haruka on the cheek. It was innocent and sweet, but it made Haruka's face heat up nevertheless.

"Let's go to the aquarium today, my treat."

Makoto held back a chuckle once he saw how lit up Haruka's eyes had gotten from the mention of the aquarium. He leaned down and rested his head on Haruka's shoulder. "I'll take that as a yes."

XXXX

The Tachibana household was filled with laughter as Makoto walked inside. He quickly spotted Kisumi chatting away with Ren and Ran in the living room. "Kisumi, what are you doing here?" Makoto asked.

"Mako-chan! Why didn't you come home last night?!" Ran yelled while she made her way over to hug her brother.

"I, uh, decided to stay over Haru's place."

"Aww really?! What did you two do?! Don't worry, we won't tell mom and dad!" Ran exclaimed as she eagerly looked at Makoto for a response.

"We just watched a movie and talked a lot. It was fun. Anyway, do you two mind if I take Kisumi upstairs? I want to talk to him in private."

The twins looked at each other and then at Makoto. "Okay! We'll go let mom and dad know you're here! They went to put some laundry in the basement!" Ren said. They quickly ran out of the living room and out of sight. Kisumi didn't need Makoto to say anything as he started to walk up the stairs. Makoto followed behind. The two made their way upstairs and into Makoto's room.

"So, did you sleep with Haruka?"

"What?"

"You stayed overnight."

"No, we were just hanging out. What are you doing here anyway?"

" and I were talking last night and she invited me over for breakfast. I was going to go visit Hayato and my parents afterwards."

Makoto walked over to his closet and pulled out a shirt. Kisumi watched as Makoto pulled out a pair of black jeans and some socks.

"Do you like Haruka?"

Makoto froze in place while he had his back turned to Kisumi. He then turned around to face the bubblegum haired man and nodded his head. Kisumi looked to the side, wanting to hide his heartbreak and disappointment. He didn't want to imagine Makoto holding someone else. It was too much.

"Well I'm glad you seem happy. Even if it kills me inside, I'll try my best to move on and not interfere. But if Haruka makes one mistake, I won't hesitate to steal you away, got it?" Kisumi said with a sad smile. Makoto smiled back and nodded his head. He walked over and hugged Kisumi.

"Thanks Kisu. You'll always be my best friend."

Kisumi hugged Makoto back but tighter than he had ever hugged him before. It hurt to see the one he loved not want to be with him anymore, but he couldn't change it. The best thing to do was accept reality and stay strong.

XXXX

The time at the aquarium was fun for both Haruka and Makoto. They enjoyed looking at the different kinds of fishes, the sea turtles, and the stingrays. Makoto couldn't take his eyes off of the dolphins when they went to see them perform. Haruka loved the way Makoto's eyes sparkled like a child's and the big goofy grin on his face.

They continued to walk around after the show when they happened to bump into Rin and Sousuke. Just by looking at them Haruka already knew the two were on a date. As much as he was glad to see his best friend happy, at the moment he wanted to wipe off the tooth grin that the redhead was giving them.

"I didn't expect to find the two of you here. Is this a date?" Rin asked.

"Umm, I invited Haruka to come with me," Makoto replied with a sheepish smile.

"Then it's a date Makoto. It's about time. Seriously, Haru couldn't stop talking about you whenever you weren't around."

Makoto and Haruka blushed in sync at the revelation. Haruka definitely wanted to strangle him. Rin, obviously enjoying it, continued on. "Anyway, take care of Haru. Oh and heads up, he's never been with anyone so if you're planning on getting him into bed, well you'll be lucky number one."

Makoto's blush turned a darker shade of red while Haruka glared at Rin. Sousuke cleared his throat, not wanting Haruka to kill his boyfriend. "We should go Rin. You said you wanted to see the sharks before the aquarium closed."

Rin groaned in annoyance but reluctantly nodded his head in agreement. He gave one last grin towards Haruka as he and Sousuke waved good-bye and walked off. Makoto let out a nervous chuckle, grabbing Haruka's attention instantly. "Rin sure is direct, isn't he?"

"Too direct."

"You don't need to be embarrassed Haru. We can take things slow. Like right now, is it okay if I hold your hand?"

Haruka felt his face heat up again by the innocent question. He looked away but nodded his head. Makoto smiled and gently grabbed Haruka's hand into his. Everything about it felt right like their hands were meant to be together. Makoto was looking forward to see how things would unfold between them.


End file.
